Kagiso Rabada Ruled Out Of Australia ODIs With Hamstring Injury

Kagiso Rabada will miss South Africa's one-day series against Australia next month. Cricket South Africa said the fast bowler is in the early stages of rehabilitation from a right hamstring injury. That rules him out of all three ODIs. The series begins on 24 September at Kingsmead in Durban. His availability for the Test series that follows will be decided closer to the time.

The hamstring and the timeline

CSA has not put a return date on it in public. The board's line is that Rabada is early in his rehabilitation and that the Test squad will be settled later. The first Test starts on 9 October in Durban. A second follows in Gqeberha on 18 October. The third begins on 27 October.

Rabada was hurt on 21 August. He has been South Africa's leading fast bowler for a decade.

Donald expects a longer absence

Lions bowling coach Allan Donald has taken a bleaker view than the board. He spoke to the Afrikaans newspaper Rapport, in comments reported by IANS. Donald said the Lions medical staff had found a grade three tear. He put the layoff at roughly two months. "He's going to be out for all the Aussie Tests as well," Donald said. CSA has not confirmed that assessment.

Rabada's record against Australia

The timing matters because of who is touring. Rabada has 340 wickets in 73 Tests. Against Australia he has 58 in 11. His average against them is 21.39. He took 5 for 51 and 4 for 59 in the World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord's in 2025. South Africa won that match.

According to IANS, the selectors are looking at Gerald Coetzee, Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch. Coetzee took 4 for 60 for South Africa A recently. The same report says Nandre Burger is still working back from a stress fracture in his back.

Sipamla out in Windhoek

A second seamer went down on the same day. Lutho Sipamla is out of the rest of the T20I tri-series in Namibia. He hurt a left hamstring in his second over of the opening match against the hosts. He bowled nine deliveries before leaving the field. Andile Simelane, who has 10 T20I caps, replaces him.

• Kagiso Rabada, right hamstring, out of the Australia ODIs
• Lutho Sipamla, left hamstring, out of the Namibia tri-series
• Jason Smith, adductor strain, already out of the tri-series
• Nandre Burger, back stress fracture, still rehabilitating, per IANS

That is four seamers unavailable across two squads inside ten days. South Africa host Australia for three ODIs and three Tests. The one-day leg starts in late September. The Tests run through October.